A Catholic Mission
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Our Story
    • 1. The Stage is Set
    • 2. The Osages Enter Kansas.
    • 3. Earliest Commerce
    • 4. Earliest Protestant Missions
    • 5. The Catholic Osage Mission >
      • 5A. The Mission Complex
      • 5B. The Osage Manual Labor Schools
      • 5C. A Beacon on The Plains ...
    • 6. Progress and Tragedy
    • 7. The Missionary Trails >
      • 7A. Missions, Stations, Churches
    • 8. A Dangerous Balance - The Civil War >
      • 8A. Confederate Officers Massacred
    • 9. The Osage Leave Kansas >
      • 9A. The Missionaries Did Not Abuse the Osage.
      • 9B. Fr. Schoenmakers Speech
    • 10. A Very Unique Community is Born >
      • 10A. A Church Raising
    • 11. Regional Boarding Schools >
      • 11A. St. Francis Institution for Boys
      • 11B. St. Ann's Academy for Girls
    • 12. Transitions
    • 13. The Passionists Era Begins
    • 14. Citizen Lawmen - The A.H.T.A. >
      • A.H.T.A. Chanute - October 1914
    • 15. The Passionist Influence is Expanded
    • 16. The Schools Today >
      • 16..1 Champions & Records
  • Characters
    • The Osages
    • The Missionaries >
      • Father John Schoenmakers >
        • Father Schoenmakers' Windows
      • Fr. John Bax >
        • Father John Bax II
      • Mother Bridget Hayden
      • Fr. Paul Ponziglione >
        • Father Paul's Memoir >
          • Index - Father Paul's Memoir >
            • Dedication & Introduction
            • IX. Construction & Acceptance of Mission Buildings.
            • X. Fr. Schoenmakers Arrives at Osage Mission
            • XI. Miss Lucille St. Pierre Came to the Neosho
            • XII. Progress of the Schools
            • XIII. Origin and Development of the Roman Catholic Church in Kansas
            • XXVII - Winds of War
            • XXVIII — Fr. Schoenmakers Return
            • Chapter XLII - Farming Issues, Death Of Father Colleton
            • Chapter XLIX - Includes The Death of Fr. Schoenmakers
            • Chapter L — Dedication of the New Church
            • Conclusion
            • Appendix I — Copy of a letter to Sister M. Coaina Mongrain about the coming of the Sisters of Loretto at Osage Mission
            • Appendix 6 — A Sketch of my Biography
            • Appendix 7 - Letter to W. W. Graves
      • Father Philip Colleton
      • Brother John Sheehan
    • W. W. Graves
    • 17 Sisters
    • 17 Sisters II - Fr. Fox's Sermon
    • Who's Behind the Window >
      • Who We Were 120 Years Ago
      • 1. The Thomas Carroll Window
      • 2. The W.W. O'Bryan Window
      • 3. The Jas. Owens & Family Window
      • 4. The C.P & C.J. Hentzen Windows
      • 5. The Dr. McNamara & Family Window
      • 6. The Fitzsimmons & Family Window
      • 7. The Parents of T.K. Joyce Window
      • 8. J.E. Sevart & Family Window
      • 9. The Rev. John Schoenmakers S.J. Window
      • 10. The Patrick Diskin and L&M George Window
      • 11. The J.A. Johnston & Family Window
      • 12. The Peter & Jacob Bonifas Windows
      • 13. The Mr & Mrs. Patrick Keeting Window
      • 14. The John Butler Window
      • 15. The Mr. & Mrs. Gutting Window
      • 16. Rosette Window Above Doors
      • 17. The Michael A. Barnes Window
      • 18. The Henry M. O'Bryan Window
      • 19. The John and Bridget McCarthy Window
      • The Sodality Windows
    • The Church Women's Bonfire (Graves)
    • Beechwood
    • John and Margaret Naudier
    • Fr. Tom McKernan - The Poet Priest of Kansas
    • The Dimond Family and Estate Sale
    • Dear Sister >
      • Friend Gertrude
    • A Year and a Day — Passionist Memories.
    • Mary Elizabeth Lease
    • K of C Council 760 - The Early Days
    • Our Hometown Boys
    • SPHS Class of 1956
  • Places
    • The Great American Desert
    • St. Francis Catholic Church
    • St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church Grounds
    • St. Paul - 135 Years Ago
    • St. Paul - 1890's as a Scale Model.
    • St. Paul - The Booming 60's
    • Osage Mission as a Statewide History Finalist
    • St. Francis Cemetery
    • Hope Cemetery
    • The Basement Chapel
    • World War I Museum Display
    • St. Paul Middle School >
      • Some Great Folks!
    • Ladore
    • St. Boniface, Scipio KS
    • Road Trip - Father Emil Kapaun
    • Exchange State Bank Robbery!
  • Thoughts ...
  • Links
  • Link Page

Thoughts 'n Things

Past and Present Day St. Paul, Southern Kansas and The Four - State Region.

The First Mission Day's?

2/9/2019

 
An earlier article mentioned the community self-awareness that existed in the 1960's.  It was passed along by a group of local leaders who believed that St. Paul's heart and soul would always be it's extraordinary history.  As long as that story was preserved and promoted, we would be OK.

This photo article was from a June, 1957 issue of the Parsons Sun.  Shown is a group of twenty-four St. Paul residents who were traveling south to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, to attend an Osage celebration.   They weren't just dropping in.  They  had been invited by the Osage Tribal Council.  Scroll on down for some information about our own large, elaborate Centennial Celebration that occurred ten years earlier.  You will see some of the same names there.
Picture
There are some familiar faces here. A few are members of our group. Others are departed family members.

Picture
Our Centennial Celebration - 1947.
It can be said that the 1947 Centennial Celebration was our first 'Mission Days.'  It was probably larger and more elaborate than any celebration before or since; with the 1997 Sesquicentennial Celebration being the closest comparison.   

This photo shows a group of St. Paul community leaders with Katy Railroad and Osage officials.  The occasion was our formal invitation to "The Entire Osage People" to attend our May 14 - 17 Osage Mission Centennial Celebration.  The photo was probably taken in Pawhuska.  Quite a few of our Osage friends [1] accepted the invitation and came up for the party.

A Large Celebration!
The Centennial was a very large, well organized event, with four themed days, that attracted many people including several dignitaries.  Folks traveled to St. Paul from across Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.  Special trains brought people from St. Louis, Oklahoma towns and other locations.
  • Wednesday, May 14, Religious Day - Attended by both in-state and out-of-state dignitaries including two bishops.  Events included an address by the Most Rev. Mark K. Carroll, Bishop of Wichita.
  • Thursday, May 15, M-K-T  Railroad Day - Events included a large Katy parade, and an address by the president of the M-K-T Railroad Lines.
  • Friday, May 16, Governors' Day - Events included another parade reviewed by the Honorable Frank Carlson, Governor of Kansas.  Governor Carlson also delivered an address after the parade.   The centennial book included Gov. Carlson's photo and a message about the importance of the Osage Mission to the development of Kansas. [2]
  • Saturday, May 17, Osage Day - Events included memorial services, costume contests, Osage tribal dances, and an automobile raffle.
There was much more.  Instead of scrolling through a long list of events, we have provided a couple of documents that lay out the program, and describe what happened during the celebration:
  1. The two-page, quad-fold centennial flyer.
  2. Two pages from the Friday, May 23, 1947 Advance Register (The Catholic Diocese of Wichita newspaper).
These are provided in both PDF and JPEG format.  The Advance Register article will be a little easier to read on a monitor or tablet, but it is do-able on a phone.

The Centennial Flyer:
  • The PDF version — both pages — is linked here: flyer3.pdf
  • JPEG (Picture) of Page 1 is linked here: centennial_flyer.jpg.
  • JPEG  of Page 2 is linked here: centennial_flyer2.jpg.
The Advance Register Article of May 23, 1947:
​These are large files and might take a moment to load.  There is space between pages 1 and 2 in the PDF version.
  • PDF Version — both pages: the_catholic_advance_fri__may_23__1947.pdf
  • JPEG of Cover Page:  the_catholic_advance_fri__may_23__1947___1_.jpg
  • JPEG of Page 3 Cont.:  the_catholic_advance_fri__may_23__1947_.jpg
As you read through the Flyer it should be evident that the Centennial Celebration was a large, well orchestrated event.  It required a lot of local cooperation and teamwork to pull together the politicians, religious figures, our Osage brothers, four days of carnival rides, bands, parade entries and other elements that showcased the pride our community had in itself and our heritage.  It is not hard to imagine that local cash registers were ringing loud and often during those four days of fun and revelry.
Picture
 Speaking of Dignitaries:
Here is a photo of two participants of the 1947 Centennial Celebration.  It includes The Principal Chief of the Osage Nation, Chief Fred Lookout [3] and a local dignitary.  Does anyone know who she is?

Dodransbicentennial?
By the way, we should probably start learning to say the word above (I can't).  There are  some alternative words including "Terquasquicentennial" and "Quartoseptcentennial" and even more. [4]  
​The spring of 2022 will mark our 175th anniversary.  One hundred and seventy-five years is a very long time when accounting for Kansas history.  Our area showed the earliest signs of civilization, commerce, education and religion in southern Kansas.  Osage Mission - St. Paul, and its remarkable cast of characters, left an indelible mark on the story of Kansas!


Some Reference Information:
1. At the time of the Centennial Celebration, St. Paul enjoyed a very strong relationship with our Osage benefactors.  We knew that without them, St. Paul would not exist.  They led missionaries into this area.  They also gifted the land our town is built on.

2. In addition to the Governor's message, the Centennial Book also included recognition and messages from:
  • The President of the United States, Harry Truman.  President Truman's message acknowledged the work of Father Schoenmakers and Ponziglione.
  • The Vatican - Montini, Substitute Secretary of State, on behalf of His Holiness Pope Pius XII.
  • The Most Rev, Mark K. Carroll, D. D., The Bishop of Wichita.
  • Chief Fred Lookout, Principal Chief of the Osage Tribe, provided a brief description of the importance of the mission to his people. 

3.  Chief Lookout was in traditional dress for the celebration.  He was an elected official who carried a lot of responsibility for his people.  The Osage Nation, including chief, congress and local agencies, operate as a microcosm of the U.S. Government.  

4.  If you are inclined to start researching words that mean "175th anniversary," you can start HERE.

    Thoughts 'n Things

    Some 'Thoughts' and short articles about past and present-day St. Paul and the Southern Kansas - 4 State Region.


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    Sesquicentennial Again!
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    Someone's Home.
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    What IS That Word???
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acatholicmission.org is a privately hosted website.  We hope that our site will educate and entertain those who are interested in the fascinating Osage Mission - St.  Paul - Neosho County Kansas story.  Ours is a regional story that crosses state lines, ethnic groups, faiths and a variety of frontier and post-frontier interests.  Enjoy.

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  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Our Story
    • 1. The Stage is Set
    • 2. The Osages Enter Kansas.
    • 3. Earliest Commerce
    • 4. Earliest Protestant Missions
    • 5. The Catholic Osage Mission >
      • 5A. The Mission Complex
      • 5B. The Osage Manual Labor Schools
      • 5C. A Beacon on The Plains ...
    • 6. Progress and Tragedy
    • 7. The Missionary Trails >
      • 7A. Missions, Stations, Churches
    • 8. A Dangerous Balance - The Civil War >
      • 8A. Confederate Officers Massacred
    • 9. The Osage Leave Kansas >
      • 9A. The Missionaries Did Not Abuse the Osage.
      • 9B. Fr. Schoenmakers Speech
    • 10. A Very Unique Community is Born >
      • 10A. A Church Raising
    • 11. Regional Boarding Schools >
      • 11A. St. Francis Institution for Boys
      • 11B. St. Ann's Academy for Girls
    • 12. Transitions
    • 13. The Passionists Era Begins
    • 14. Citizen Lawmen - The A.H.T.A. >
      • A.H.T.A. Chanute - October 1914
    • 15. The Passionist Influence is Expanded
    • 16. The Schools Today >
      • 16..1 Champions & Records
  • Characters
    • The Osages
    • The Missionaries >
      • Father John Schoenmakers >
        • Father Schoenmakers' Windows
      • Fr. John Bax >
        • Father John Bax II
      • Mother Bridget Hayden
      • Fr. Paul Ponziglione >
        • Father Paul's Memoir >
          • Index - Father Paul's Memoir >
            • Dedication & Introduction
            • IX. Construction & Acceptance of Mission Buildings.
            • X. Fr. Schoenmakers Arrives at Osage Mission
            • XI. Miss Lucille St. Pierre Came to the Neosho
            • XII. Progress of the Schools
            • XIII. Origin and Development of the Roman Catholic Church in Kansas
            • XXVII - Winds of War
            • XXVIII — Fr. Schoenmakers Return
            • Chapter XLII - Farming Issues, Death Of Father Colleton
            • Chapter XLIX - Includes The Death of Fr. Schoenmakers
            • Chapter L — Dedication of the New Church
            • Conclusion
            • Appendix I — Copy of a letter to Sister M. Coaina Mongrain about the coming of the Sisters of Loretto at Osage Mission
            • Appendix 6 — A Sketch of my Biography
            • Appendix 7 - Letter to W. W. Graves
      • Father Philip Colleton
      • Brother John Sheehan
    • W. W. Graves
    • 17 Sisters
    • 17 Sisters II - Fr. Fox's Sermon
    • Who's Behind the Window >
      • Who We Were 120 Years Ago
      • 1. The Thomas Carroll Window
      • 2. The W.W. O'Bryan Window
      • 3. The Jas. Owens & Family Window
      • 4. The C.P & C.J. Hentzen Windows
      • 5. The Dr. McNamara & Family Window
      • 6. The Fitzsimmons & Family Window
      • 7. The Parents of T.K. Joyce Window
      • 8. J.E. Sevart & Family Window
      • 9. The Rev. John Schoenmakers S.J. Window
      • 10. The Patrick Diskin and L&M George Window
      • 11. The J.A. Johnston & Family Window
      • 12. The Peter & Jacob Bonifas Windows
      • 13. The Mr & Mrs. Patrick Keeting Window
      • 14. The John Butler Window
      • 15. The Mr. & Mrs. Gutting Window
      • 16. Rosette Window Above Doors
      • 17. The Michael A. Barnes Window
      • 18. The Henry M. O'Bryan Window
      • 19. The John and Bridget McCarthy Window
      • The Sodality Windows
    • The Church Women's Bonfire (Graves)
    • Beechwood
    • John and Margaret Naudier
    • Fr. Tom McKernan - The Poet Priest of Kansas
    • The Dimond Family and Estate Sale
    • Dear Sister >
      • Friend Gertrude
    • A Year and a Day — Passionist Memories.
    • Mary Elizabeth Lease
    • K of C Council 760 - The Early Days
    • Our Hometown Boys
    • SPHS Class of 1956
  • Places
    • The Great American Desert
    • St. Francis Catholic Church
    • St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church Grounds
    • St. Paul - 135 Years Ago
    • St. Paul - 1890's as a Scale Model.
    • St. Paul - The Booming 60's
    • Osage Mission as a Statewide History Finalist
    • St. Francis Cemetery
    • Hope Cemetery
    • The Basement Chapel
    • World War I Museum Display
    • St. Paul Middle School >
      • Some Great Folks!
    • Ladore
    • St. Boniface, Scipio KS
    • Road Trip - Father Emil Kapaun
    • Exchange State Bank Robbery!
  • Thoughts ...
  • Links
  • Link Page